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- BMW Z3 2.8
- Bill Mason's review
Have a picture of BMW Z3 2.8?, please send it to us.
Picture courtesy of Patrick.
| Performance | 8.8/10   |
|---|---|
| Practicality | 5.9/10 |
| Reliability | 8.9/10 |
| Value for Money | 8.3/10 |
| Reviewer Rating | 7.9/10 |
| Overall Rating | 7.7/10 |
By Bill Mason on 12th Jul 2006
| Year Manufactured | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Length of ownership | 1 month |
| Doors | 2 |
| Performance | 8/10 |
| Practicality | 5/10 |
| Reliability | 8/10 |
| Value for money | 8/10 |
| Overall value | 7/10 |
 Bill Mason's recommendation | |
Exhaust note. Driving position. Performance.
Plastic rear window.
I have owned a 1999 T plate 2.8 litre BMW Z3 for one month. I have hunted high and low over two years for the right one, and finally settled on a straight six engined roadster in dark green with 34,000 miles on the clock.
I think it is the perfect second car - my family car is a Saab 93 2.0 Aero - and it cost £8700.00. It has the chrome pack with chrome door handles and windscreen pillar, and I have paid £1350.00 for BMW fitted roll bars.
I think it would be hard to beat this choice as a weekend "boy's toy" with a £10K budget.
The Saab is fitted with a Hirsch performance pack and does the 0 to 60 sprint in 6.9 seconds, but the little BMW beats it by about half a second.
Roof down the Z3 is a fine cruiser at 40 to 60 m.p.h., above 70 m.p.h. wind noise and buffeting becomes irritating. The exhaust note is wonderful, most modern cars (including my Saab Aero) have an insipid exhaust sound but the BMW's colourful mechanical growl is a wonderful ever present soundtrack to your motoring. You find yourself downshifting regularly just to trigger that sonic soaring sound. The power hood takes about 14 seconds up or down.
Brakes are strong and steering feel is solid and assured. The boot will take about 8 or 9 full shopping carrier bags, or a briefcase and gym/sports bag. With the roof and side windows down, driving the car is a quasi motorbiking experience. You feel connected with the elements and the sensation of speed is heightened because of the proximity of the driver to the road beneath.
You find yourself constantly glancing in the door mirrors at the squat haunches of the rear wheel arches behind you. Fuel economy is not great - with a 2.8 litre engine, and driving in a determined fashion, average mileage is about 23 to 25 m.p.g. The rear plastic window is the Achilles heel, there is always a big crease line about two thirds down and the material scuffs easily. This does not really hamper visibility, it merely detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the car in a small way.
A new plastic window costs £214.00 plus VAT and zips straight in. This is no hairdressers car. The only vehicles that best this motor are cars that do the 0 to 60 sprint in sub 6.5 seconds, i.e. seriously fast cars. Is it a girls car? It took me two years to commit to buying one, because of this gender based consideration, but a half hour test drive in the 2.8 litre had me reaching for my wallet. I have seen many men driving the Z3, and my Z3 attracts a heck of a lot more attention (of a positive sort) from lady motorists rather than male drivers. If you want a reliable and fun convertible 2nd car for £10K or less, hunt high and low for a 2.8 Z3. Forget the smaller 4 cylinder cars, the performance is poor and the exhaust note bland. MX5 or MGF? Sorry, but no, a sports car needs to look AND sound the part, and neither the MX5 nor MGF manage that.
I will own the Z3 for 3 years, and it will have 65,000 miles on the clock when I come to sell it. I will sell it in the Summer of 2009 as a low mileage 10 year old Z3, and get back all of the £10K I spent on the car including the price of the retro-fitted roll bars. If you choose well, you will have the same happy experience. I hope this review assists, I love my Z3, and you will too. William
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django290 on 12th Aug 2008